NEWS AND NOTES

It's named the Old Works, but to public course golfers, and tothe Environmental Protection Agency, the new 18-hole layout inAnaconda, Mont., looks more like a work of art.

Designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in May, the Old Works isthe first course built on an EPA Superfund cleanup site. Theidea for the course was hatched in 1989, six years after the EPAdiscovered that the land, which had once been the site of athriving copper smelter, was contaminated with toxic pollutants.As part of the federal Superfund Program, which was establishedby Congress in 1980 and determines who should pay for suchcleanup projects, energy giant ARCO, which had purchased theAnaconda site in 1977, was left with the full tab.

Together with local government officials, ARCO struck a dealwhereby it would spend roughly $40 million cleaning up the areaand building the course, then turn it over to the city. Sincethe land used for the course would need only to be capped, thecost of the cleanup would be less to ARCO. "The alternative was$60 million to clean up the waste, haul it away and fence thearea off," says Sandy Stash, who was in charge of the projectfor ARCO.

The Old Works course alone cost $15 million to build, much ofwhich was spent to ensure that it was safe to use. Beforeseeding, a two-inch layer of lime was applied over the waste,which was capped with a two-foot-thick sealant of plastic liner,clay and clean soil. A complex system of pumps, moisture sensorsand piping prevents water in the hazards on the course frommixing with any waste below. Before the course opened, it wasapproved by the EPA.

The most unusual feature of the Old Works is its jet-blackbunkers. The sand is crushed slag left from the smelting processthat gleaned the copper from the rock. Although some playerscontend that the slightly heavier slag tends to scuff balls,most agree that it looks great and is easier to hit from thanregular bunker sand. "The ball sits on top," says Nicklaus, whoplayed the course on July 30. "You don't get as many fried-egglies."

The EPA hopes to use the Old Works as a model for othercompanies and cities looking to reclaim polluted land. "We haveabout 900 Superfund sites around the country," says EPA officialTim Fields. "What has been done here is something we would verymuch like to replicate."

A YEAR LATER, BROOKS SEEKS '96 PGA FORM

As he prepares to defend his PGA Championship title next week atWinged Foot, Mark Brooks is fighting a swing flaw that sends hisbad shots not right but "30 degrees right." The trouble beganabout 10 months ago, when he cracked his eight-degree Big Berthadriver. He's still looking for a solution.

"It's like being 15 points down at the start of every quarter,"says Brooks, noting that he has opened 11 of his 22 tournamentswith a score of 72 or higher. "I'm always playing on the edge. Iassure you, it's not fun."

Third on the money list last season with $1.4 million, Brookshas won only $208,572 this season and is ranked 82nd. He's amongthe top 50 in just one statistical category--sand saves. Hislone top 10 finish was a tie for seventh at the PlayersChampionship back in March.

Brooks missed the cut at the 1984 U.S. Open at Winged Foot andfigures that he'll have to rely on his short game if he's tohave any chance next week. "You have to drive the ball in thefairway there, and if you miss the green, miss in the rightplaces so you can get up and down," he says.

Despite the off year, Brooks remains upbeat. Hiscourse-management and design company will break ground on twocourses in the Fort Worth area in October--both within 30minutes of Brooks's house. Besides, there are worse things thana bad swing. "It's not life or death for me," he says. "I'm notsatisfied with the way I'm playing, but all I can do is lookahead to what's left this year and many, many years to come.It's just one of those valleys. If this is as low as I go, I cantake it."

EUROPE'S MARTIN MIGHT TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM

Miguel Angel Martin, currently eighth on the European Ryder Cuppoints list, has a broken bone in his left hand and might missthe match. "It doesn't look good," Martin said last week. "Atthe moment it's impossible for me to hit a shot." Martin, 35,injured his hand at the Loch Lomond World Invitational lastmonth. He played the following week at the British Open with hishand wrapped, but the pain never left, and he missed the cut. Hehas withdrawn from his last three starts on the European tourand may need surgery.

Martin's misfortune will in some ways make European captain SeveBallesteros's decisions easier. The injury could clear the wayfor Jose Maria Olazabal, who has fluctuated between 10th and11th on the points list, to make the squad automatically. Thatwould free Ballesteros from having to choose among Olazabal,Nick Faldo and Jesper Parnevik in making his two captain's picks.

ANOTHER FREE PASS TO THE U.S. OPEN FOR NICKLAUS?

Whipping up on an old nemesis, Johnny Miller, during the tapingof a match for Shell's Wonderful World of Golf had Jack Nicklausfeeling so good about his game--and about Olympic Club in SanFrancisco, where he and Miller squared off on July 29--that hesaid he would "love to come back" to Olympic for next year'sU.S. Open if the USGA would grant him another exemption.

Such an exemption would be Nicklaus's sixth, more than any otherplayer has received. But Nicklaus has made the cut in six of thelast seven majors, proof that he's still playing well enough tomeet any competitive standard. Because Nicklaus is scheduled toplay in the PGA at Winged Foot next week and in next April'sMasters, the Open at Olympic would be his 154th consecutive major.

Nicklaus made a believer out of Miller, whom he destroyed 70-81.(Their match will air Oct. 29 on ESPN.) "He put on a clinic,"said Miller, who double-bogeyed the 2nd and 3rd holes andthree-putted five times. "If there was a U.S. Open here thisweek, he'd have a shot."

MR. MATCH PLAY AND THE GREENS MONSTER

After the International division of the Andersen ConsultingWorld Championship of Golf concluded on July 29 at Blackwolf Runin Kohler, Wis., two things were clear. One, Ernie Els is theworld's best match-play player. Two, ladies, rev up your enginesbecause you'll have your hands full when the U.S. Women's Opencomes to Blackwolf Run next year.

It was no surprise that Els advanced to next January's Andersensemis in Scottsdale, Ariz. He has been playing well all summer.He has also won three straight World Match Play titles and had a3-1-1 record in last year's Presidents Cup. "Ernie is so toughbecause he has such a good short game," says Nick Price, whosedivisional semifinal match against Els in the Andersen endedwhen Els chipped in for eagle at the 16th hole. "People don'tgive him enough credit for his chipping. Plus he's hitting hislong irons so straight."

In the final, Els withstood a charge by Steve Elkington to win 2up. Els eagled a par-5 on the front nine but didn't clinch thematch until Elkington, who had dispatched Greg Norman in thesemis, went for the pin at the 18th and twice hit into the water.

Els, who won $200,000, will face Colin Montgomerie (the Europeandivision winner) in January. Davis Love III (U.S.) will playHajime Meshiai (Japan) in the other semifinal. First prize is $1million.

Beside Els, the other hot topic at Blackwolf Run was thecourse's undulating greens. "If you halved the slope on thesegreens, they would still be severe," says Price. "I feel sorryfor the amateurs here. I wouldn't be surprised if a good 10- or12-handicapper had nine three-putts out here."

Elkington agreed. "This course is hard from tee to green, buteven if you hit a nice long iron to 20 feet," he says, "youprobably have a double breaker with a hump in the middle. Someof the slope has to come out."

Price said that because of the greens, the men's U.S. Open wouldnever come to Blackwolf Run. Obviously he had not consulted withthe USGA, which will hold the Women's Open on the course nextyear. "Good luck to them," says Els. "They'd better startpracticing putting down a bathtub."

THE SHAG BAG

Fred Couples and Davis Love III were named on Monday torepresent the U.S. in the Nov. 12-15 World Cup of Golf at theOcean Course on Kiawah Island, S.C. Couples and Love won theinternational two-man competitions from 1992 to '95. Tiger Woodsdeclined to participate, citing his busy Asian and Hawaiianschedule that month.... Beth Bauer, 17, of Valrico, Fla.,defeated Candie Kung, 15, of Fountain Valley, Calif., 4 and 2last Saturday to win the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur.... SteveStricker says that if he doesn't qualify for the NEC WorldSeries of Golf, he'll play in the Aug. 18-20 Wisconsin StateOpen at Cedar Creek in Onalaska. Stricker, who has a house inEdgerton, won the tournament in 1990 and finished second in1992. Will there be grumbling from club pros? "I think Steve isdoing it as a favor to Wisconsin golf," Joe Stadler, WisconsinPGA executive director, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Heknows it will help with publicity. If any players view it asanything but a plus, they're being short-sighted."... ChrisSmith became the first player in Nike tour history to win thesame event twice when he coasted to a two-stroke victory in theDakota Dunes (S.Dak.) Open on Sunday. He also won it in '95.

COLOR PHOTO: PATRICK J. KROHN/THE MONTANA STANDARD Bunkers at the Old Works are filled with slag from a copper smelter. [Golf course with smelter chimney in distance]COLOR PHOTO: JACQUELINE DUVOISIN The pros prefer Couples, a hit with Brad Faxon at the '95 Cup. [Brad Faxon and Fred Couples]

TWO FOR THE SHOW

Tom Kite should opt for experience and make Fred Couples andTom Watson his two captain's picks for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.That was the opinion of 42 Tour pros polled last week at theSprint International. SI gave those surveyed a list of the ninegolfers most likely to be the wild-card candidates (assumingthey don't earn enough points to automatically qualify for theteam) and asked them each to vote for two of the nine.

PLAYER VOTES THE SKINNY

FRED COUPLES 30 His game is sharp (six top 10s in 11events), but his life is full ofdistractions

TOM WATSON 23 Like Raymond Floyd in '93, Watson is valuedfor his leadership

DAVID DUVAL 15 He has five runner-up finishes. Is he dueor a dud?

JEFF MAGGERT 10 Late collapses are getting to be secondnature

COREY PAVIN 3 He has lost his game (in the top 25 once in'97) but not his heart

MARK BROOKS 1 He has earned only 30 Ryder Cup points in'97

STEVE JONES 1 He was 38 under in Arizona, 23 over for therest of '97

PAUL STANKOWSKI 1 Mr. Consistency has 12 top 25 finishesin 22 events

TOM KITE 0 He has a pair of top 10s in majors this year

THE NUMBER

40

Hale Irwin's winning percentage on the Senior tour this year(six of 15 after Sunday's victory at the BankBoston Classic), arate that would top Peter Thomson's record (minimum: 15 events)of 36%, set in '85.